MEMS optical scanners that simultaneously scan light biaxially in a main scanning direction and a sub scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction have recently been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an optical scanner which is intended to significantly increase an angle of deflection and which comprises a mirror surface that reflects light, a main shaft section that pivotally supports the mirror surface, and a deformable holding section (actuator) that holds the main shaft section.
This optical scanner is configured such that a torsion bar (flexible section), which changes a deformation of the holding section itself into a torsional deformation, is formed in the holding section and the mirror surface pivotally moves using a torsional deformation generated at the torsion bar (flexible section). In particular, the optical scanner according to Patent Document 1 illustrated in FIG. 9 comprises a movable frame (mirror frame) that encloses the mirror surface, and by deforming the holding section, the optical scanner becomes capable of biaxial scanning.
However, with the optical scanner according to Patent Document 1, providing the torsion bar (flexible section) between the holding section (actuator) and the movable frame in order to increase vertical displacement makes stress more likely to concentrate at the torsion bar (flexible section) during horizontal driving and creates a risk of damage to the torsion bar (flexible section). Therefore, there is a limit to increasing a horizontal angle of deflection.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-203299